Why do some shoppers still shy away from the net - Module 9B
B2 First · Gapped Text · First Expert Student's Resource Book, Pearson Education
You are going to read an article about shopping on the internet. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-G) the one that fits each gap (1–6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Why do some shoppers still shy away from the net?
Shopping on the internet should be easy and stress-free: no queues, no rude assistants, lots of choice and your purchases delivered to your door. Yet, according to researchers, some people are still surprisingly reluctant to buy from e-commerce sites, often limiting their online purchases to things like books, games and travel tickets.
What's more, it's not just older people who find it hard to navigate e-commerce sites; younger people also say that the sites are dull to look at and that items aren't laid out logically.
Indeed, a large proportion of online shoppers fall into this category, no doubt reflecting their interest in things like books and games rather than clothes and food.
The more interesting question, however, is how sellers are likely to respond to this change and find new ways of offering a mix of online and offline outlets.
But underlying these stated reasons, there's also a fundamental difference between conventional shopping and online services, and this has a part to play.
Attitudes towards the available hardware are another factor in this domestic mindset, with many families continuing to regard their online presence as part of an entertainment set-up, or else as a tool for study, work or social relations.
The concerns for such people tend to be broader social issues, such as privacy and the possible effects of the internet on the way we live.
It is a finding that leads one to wonder what it would take to get the rest of the population e-shopping as their default option.
The main explanations given for this reluctance to go e-shopping are fears about the security of payments, the added costs of postage, concerns about the practicalities of delivery and the possible need to return products that don't live up to expectations.
Both the pleasure of unplanned purchases and the ability to examine products are missing online and for many, the experience of shopping – especially for clothes – is just as important as the products themselves. People recognise the convenience of e-commerce in principle – especially for food shopping – but even the regular supermarket visit is a complex activity where personal and luxury items can be bought on impulse or with a specific occasion, person or meal in mind. It's hard to reproduce the pleasure of this experience using an unfriendly list-based choice on a computer screen.
There appear to be three main groups of people who do not shop online. The first has little experience of internet shopping but is potentially interested. The second group tends to be older, less educated people who may never give it a try. Members of the third group are relatively wealthy and computer literate but have other reasons for not shopping on the web.
Surprisingly, however, these reservations don't stop them using the web for other reasons. And even amongst those who do shop online, most continue to view it as an alternative, thinking more of the integration of e-commerce services into their current household routine, rather than taking the opportunity to rethink how they organise their home lives.
This could be a drawback, however, because often the hardware isn't always integrated into the places in the household where decisions about family shopping are made. Perhaps this is why single young men remain the greatest fans of e-commerce.
Researchers have concluded, therefore, that those who are most positive about e-commerce are focusing on the convenience and the price advantage for particular products and not on the shopping experience itself.
There seems to be some doubt about this. More of us may be encouraged to shop online as manufacturers overcome bad web design and learn to safeguard our privacy but will internet shopping ever seriously replace the stress and thrill of the real thing?
The main explanations given for this reluctance to go e-shopping are fears about the security of payments, the added costs of postage, concerns about the practicalities of delivery and the possible need to return products that don't live up to expectations. ___ Both the pleasure of unplanned purchases and the ability to examine products are missing online and for many, the experience of shopping – especially for clothes – is just as important as the products themselves. People recognise the convenience of e-commerce in principle – especially for food shopping – but even the regular supermarket visit is a complex activity where personal and luxury items can be bought on impulse or with a specific occasion, person or meal in mind. It's hard to reproduce the pleasure of this experience using an unfriendly list-based choice on a computer screen. ___ There appear to be three main groups of people who do not shop online. The first has little experience of internet shopping but is potentially interested. The second group tends to be older, less educated people who may never give it a try. Members of the third group are relatively wealthy and computer literate but have other reasons for not shopping on the web. ___ Surprisingly, however, these reservations don't stop them using the web for other reasons. And even amongst those who do shop online, most continue to view it as an alternative, thinking more of the integration of e-commerce services into their current household routine, rather than taking the opportunity to rethink how they organise their home lives. ___ This could be a drawback, however, because often the hardware isn't always integrated into the places in the household where decisions about family shopping are made. Perhaps this is why single young men remain the greatest fans of e-commerce. ___ Researchers have concluded, therefore, that those who are most positive about e-commerce are focusing on the convenience and the price advantage for particular products and not on the shopping experience itself. ___ There seems to be some doubt about this. More of us may be encouraged to shop online as manufacturers overcome bad web design and learn to safeguard our privacy but will internet shopping ever seriously replace the stress and thrill of the real thing?
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